550 Squadron were formed from ‘C’ flight of 100 Squadron in November 1943 at Waltham – they moved to the nearly completed North Killingholme on 3rd January 1944 and flew their first mission (to Brunswick) on 14th January 1944.
194 raids
3,485 take offs
122 early returns
188 ‘Ordered to Return’
3,175 successful sorties
4,271 night operational hours flown
4,988 day operational hours flown
9,259 total operational hours flown
16,195 tons of bombs dropped
56 aircraft and crews ‘missing’
14 aircraft crashed
The squadron was officially disbanded and North Killingholme airfield closed on 31st October 1945.
At the end of the war, the men and women of 550 Squadron were demobilised into civilian life, but as the years passed many wanted to re-establish contact with old comrades.
In 1980, Channel 4 started a ‘Service Pals’ Teletext service which Frank Pritchard used to obtain further contacts. Bob Sloan visited Frank on a trip from Australia and they met with Jack Harris – with Jack Harding as the Canadian representative they formed the 550 Squadron Association in 1991.
The first reunion was held at the RAF Museum in Hendon and there have been annual reunions since then at North Killingholme where the squadron was based.
The members are spread across the globe, from Australia to Canada, New Zealand to the UK and worldwide.
hi. I have been doing some research on a family member and have discovered that he was a lancaster pilot and was shot down on 21/22 January 1944. I am looking for relatives of Sgt S sykes who was the only surviving member of the crew.
Many thanks
JOHN
Apologies if I am passing on information you already know.
http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=4215
“Serial Range ED303 – EE202 This aircraft was one of 620 lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) in 1941 and built from Nov42 to Jun43 as 129 Mk.1s
and 491 Mk.111, mixed up to ED782 and all as Mk.111s from ED783 onwards. The Mk.1s were initially fitted with Merlin 20 and the Mk.111s with merlin 28 en
gines. EE107 was delivered to No.97 Sqdn 25May43, to No.100 Sqdn 12Nov43 and joined No.550 Sqdn 27Nov43. Took part in the following key Operations: With
No.97 Sqdn as OF-F, Bochum 12/13Jun43; Cologne 3/4Jul43; Turin 12/13Jul43; Hamburg 27/28Jul43; Peene_nde 17/18Aug43; Berlin 3/4Sep43; as OF-L, Mannheim 2
3/24Sep43. With No.100 Sqdn as HW-U, Berlin 18/19Nov43. With No.550 Sqdn as BQ-Q, Berlin 2/3Dec43; Berlin 16/17Dec43; Berlin 29/30Dec43; Berlin 1/2Jan44-
aborted; Berlin 2/3Jan44; Brunswick 14/15Jan44; Magdeburg 21/22Jan44-Lost No record of total hours. Airborne 2004 21Jan44 from North Killingholme. Those
killed are buried in Holland at Venray War Cemetery. Sgt Clarkin came from Dublin in the Irish Republic. W/O G.K.Peasgood KIA Sgt S.Sykes PoW F/S W.P.Mor
ris RCAF KIA F/S S.J.Richards KIA Sgt S.J.L.Jones KIA Sgt P.P.Clarkin KIA. The CWGC state that Venray was liberated in mid-October 1944 and that burials
in the cemetery date from this time. This suggests that the above crew were brought here from another cemetery, possibly from one on Germany. Sgt S.Sykes
was interned in Camp 4B, PoW No.270085 (possibly 270885) ”
The 550 Squadron and North Killingholme Association newsletter is published approx. 2 -4 times per year. The secretary (Jack Harris OBE DFC) and treasurer (Mike Leeman) have membership lists of 550 squadron members and families and may be able to provide contact details. The former is not on-line the latter is – I’ll pass on any email should you want to contact the association.
Hi, I understand that Sgt Stan Sykes died in 2000. However, I would like to contact his relatives to see if Stan ever related what happened on the nigh 21st/22nd Jan 1944, as he was the only survivor when his Lancaster was shot down. My (and John Hibberd) Nan’s nephew W/O GK Peasgood was the pilot.
I recently received some information about what may have happened on the night of 21/22 Jan 1944.
See the details put up on:
http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/documents/public/Lancasters-Crews/EE107/index.php
Sgt. P.P. Clarkin 21/22 Jan. 1944 is the name from the Roll of Honour, other than that, our visitors might be able to help.
Hi, has anyone got any info on P/O Maxwell my granddad was his F/E Robson Willey, they were in 550 Sqn feb 1944 and completed their tour in june that year. any info would be appreciated.
regards
Simon
The 550 Squadron and North Killingholme Association newsletter is published approx. 2 -4 times per year. The secretary (Jack Harris OBE DFC) and treasurer (Mike Leeman) have membership lists of 550 squadron members and families and may be able to provide contact details. The former is not on-line whereas the latter is – I’ll pass on any email should you want to contact the association ( I note you accessed http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/ some time ago!) The information and photos, etc, previously available at http://www.550squadron.theraf.co.uk/ (now defunct) may eventually become available again; that may contain helptful information.
See also: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1944/1944%20-%202592.html
(ca. half-way down left-hand column). Preceding PDF page indictate this is a list of DFC awards.
Simon I was married to P/O Maxwell in Adelaide Australia in 1946 He passed away in Brisbane in Nov 1975 after a long illness In 1945 he was based in Singapore with 238 squadron flying DC3 aircraft In 1946 we returned to the UK and he was based at Mildenhall West Suffolk until he left the RAF and came to Adelaide Aust in 1948 before moving to Brisbane in 1953
Hello
My grandfather Jack (john) Foran (RAAF)was a Wireless operator A/G in this sqdn, i was tring to find out some information regarding the Lanc/s he flew in,
Any help would be appreciated
Gerard
gerard – I’ve have an email account malfunction and lost your email address. can you email me at admin@550squadronassociation.org.uk as I have had a contact about the Lukies crew and a crew member still alive. Regards,
P
Could anyone give me Mike Leeman’s email address?
See http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/original-site-archive/moremail.htm
I am looking for any information regarding the circumstances of the death of my cousin Ronald Sedgeley Smith – I know he died on 4th April 1945, age 19, and is buried in the Berlin War cemetery. He was shown as being Sergeant (Air Gunner) with 550 Sqdn
Hi
My wifes uncle was the captain of a lancaster shot down on the night of 15/16 of March 1945. His name was Russell Wallace from New Zealand.
We understand that some of the crew survived. We are very keen to make contact with any of them if they are still alive. They were part of squadron 550 at North Killingholme.
the records shows 5 crew KIA
http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_roll_of_honour.php?value=extended&aircraft=NG287
Misburg Mar 45 at:
http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_operations.php?target=Misburg
where you can get the full crew list (7).
So survivors Capon and Laney:
http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_servicemen.php?id=4534
and
http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/php-library/mysql-utils/reports/rpt_squadron_servicemen.php?id=4536
Unfortunately I do not currently have any more information about the two survivors.